House Shame (Bread and Wine Review, Part 1)

How many times have I said that I want people to stop over unannounced sometimes (I stress the word sometimes)? Not every time, but sometimes. I used to keep baked goods on hand and fresh tea bags in case someone wanted to stop by to talk, eat, and connect. My husband and I designed our kitchen to be like a coffee house, to encourage people to visit. What happened is reflected by author, Shauna Niequist in her book, Bread and Wine. There is so much here that I can relate to, including the writer part.

Shauna speaks about her friend who owns a beautiful home. Her friend collects hotel silver, presses her napkins, and Shauna has never seen her home, “less than sparkling. Ever.”

________________________________________________________________

She came in and hugged me and sat on the couch in our kitchen, and we chatted about various things–her work, my work, our kids. And I tried not to absolutely freak out. I hope she didn’t notice that I practically developed a facial tic while we chatted.

This is the thing: it was an unannounced stopover. While I was writing. When I am writing at home, it’s as though I am a homebound invalid. No makeup, hair in a ratty bun just above my forehead. Crooked glasses, Aaron’s gym socks. I’m not suggesting I was just a little ragged around the edges; I was terrifying. My brother had given me a sailing shirt, one of those half-zips made of some sort of wicking fabric. I thought it would make me look a little sporty; it makes me look like a forty-eight-year-old athletic director at a small women’s college.

Let’s talk for a moment about my home during that fateful visit. First, the smell: my whole house smelled because I hadn’t done the dishes for days. Many, many days. There are reasons for this, of course, but when someone’s standing in your kitchen, it’s hard to explain the breakfast dishes on the coffee table, the popcorn bits all over the rug, and the smell–heavens, the smell!–of dirty dishes in the sink.

This is the shame double whammy–my body and my house. It was almost physically painful. But this is the thing: she’s my friend. And even though having her sit right in the middle of my house mess set off every shame alarm I have, I stayed there, perched on my couch, listening and talking.

Just the week before, she and I had been talking about the writing I was doing, and I was telling her that while I’m writing about food, what I’m finding is that a lot of it is about shame, about the ways we feel inferior, and because of those feelings, we hide. And of course, it’s all fun and games to talk about these those ideas, and then the next thing you know, you’re in your husband’s gym socks and your kitchen stinks. You’ve got a chance to practice what you’re preaching, and you’re breaking out in hives.

I felt within myself the desire to shoo her out, to hide, to keep her from the disorder that is my real, actual life some days. But I took a deep breath, and she sat there listening to me across my dirty coffee table, and we talked about community and family and authenticity. It’s easy to talk about it, and really, really hard sometimes to practice it.

_________________________________________________________

Shauna really takes us to the heart of hospitality here. All of the above is what I have felt, done, and struggled with. My family might remember the times when I wanted a half an hour warning before they came over to hurry and hide the undone dishes, spray some air freshener into the air, and make sure I could treat my family with all the love of hospitality. I agree with Shauna for these next reasons why most of us do not entertain and come together in fellowship:

_____________________________________________________

This is why the door stays closed for so many of us, literally and figuratively. One friend promises she’ll start having people over when they finally have money to remodel. Another says she’d be too nervous that people wouldn’t eat the food she made, so she never makes the invitation.

But it isn’t about perfection, and it isn’t about performance. You’ll miss the richest moments in life–the sacred moments when we feel God’s grace and presence through the actual faces and hands of the people we love–if you’re too scared or too ashamed to open the door. I know it’s scary, but throw open the door anyway, even though someone might see you in your terribly ugly half-zip.

I don’t want to hear from the people whose house is always Home and Garden perfect (bless you for your beauty!), but from those of us, like me and my husband who struggle to keep the house clean and balance work and family in this crazy ride we call life. Be brave. Is your house always picture perfect? What do you think of Shauna’s words?

This is part one of my review of Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table With Recipes, published by Zondervan. This excerpt was done with permission from page 108-109.

Have You Checked Out My New Foodie Blog?

Copyright, 2012; image can be bought here http://www.cafepress.com/thehahnhuntinglodge

As you know, I now only blog Monday through Friday here. But on the Whine and Cheese Blog I write on food, beer, and wine and about those who serve them. Recently, I interviewed Kat Schaeffer from Steamboat Springs, Colorado as my initial blog post in a special Sunday edition on September 30. This week I have posted recipes of my own invention, inspired by the professionals. The Whine and Cheese Blog posts Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Happy Friday to you all! Are there any prayer requests?

Whine and Cheese Girl (NEW!)

J. P Chenet French wine, a popular UK grocery store brand, in a photographic collage with grapes and bread. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whine and Cheese Girl

I am a middle class girl on a shoestring budget. Whine and Cheese Girl was created to reach out to the lay person–the person who works five plus days a week and lives on a shoestring budget like me. This economy makes it difficult to have the finer things in life like a good bottle of wine or a fine beer. Even worse, some of us are at the grocery store with a filet minon in one hand and ground beef in the other. We weigh our options as we shop. We try to make the best out of a bad situation, to create something fine at home in our kitchens because going out to eat maybe happens once a month.

If you’re like me, your grand night out is a coffee shop and board games with the hubby.

Read More…

Hope Fest, AZ: Giveaways and Meet Our Authors!

Word Weavers, a division of the Christian Writer’s Guild, has reserved a table during Hope Fest AZ on July 14. You will have ample opportunity to meet our authors and buy their novels and books.

In addition, my blog will be celebrating with Hope Fest AZ by featuring a blog tour of Andrea Palpant Dilley’s, “Faith and Other Flat Tires,” beginning July 13 with my review and a sample chapter, and ending on July 14 with a guest post from Andrea. At the festival, I’ll be offering via a drawing a free copy of “Faith and Other Flat Tires,” gratus from the publisher with a $5 Cupper’s Coffee House gift certificate. If you stop by our booth anytime between noon and 2 PM on July 14, you will have an opportunity to put your name into the drawing.

At 2 PM, I will draw one name out of the box and contact the winner. You don’t have to be present to win. As long as you put the appropriate contact number down and write legibly, I can call you to make arrangements for pick up. Exempt from this drawing are any family members related to Tony or Nikki Hahn. I’ll also be having a limited amount of goody bags available free. So come on down, meet our authors, and enjoy what promises to be a beautiful day in Prescott, AZ.

Authors Available as of June 29, 2012:

Local author Diane B. Jacobs will be one of the authors representing Northern Arizona Wordweavers Christian authors at the Hopefest AZ event on July 14th at the Prescott Courthouse Square. Diane will be on hand to answer questions and to sign her gluten free cookbook, “Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free & Wheat Free Cooking”, A homestyle recipe collection for celiacs and wheat sensitive folks, from 12PM to 6PM on that date. Her cookbook is available at Amazon.com and also at her informational website, http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org. Diane is also the author of two blogs:

www.GlutenFreeFarmersDaughter.blogspot.com www.GlutenFreeFoodieHeaven.blogspot.com

In addition, Diane will be debuting her non-fiction story: “Heaven Revealed”, the true story about her mother’s near-death experience and brief visit to heaven while she was in intensive care.

Willow Dressel, blogger at http://creation-thewrittentruth.blogspot.com/ will be present to answer any creation science questions.

As more authors report in, I will be updating this post at a later date. If you’re one of my readers, I’d love to meet you. Come on down that weekend and say hello. There will also be pamphlets and other information about Word Weavers and the Christian Writers Guild. We’ll be on hand to answer your questions.

You can read my interview of Jaye Lene Long, Project Coordinator for Hope Fest AZ on July 6.

A Lack of Finesse

The woman paced the deli as I waited for my meats to be sliced. She invaded my space, standing between my cart and I, peering over my shoulder.

“These meats are so expensive!” She complains very loudly.

Her friend says something, but I can’t quite hear him. The slicing machine continues to whir as the deli attendant worked diligently with his back hunched and his left hand catching the sliced meats as they fell from the blade.

The woman walks over to the display next to the deli. “We’ll get these meats. Those at the counter are way too expensive. In fact, we’ll get Sargento cheese instead. It’s cheaper.”

The clerk doesn’t react as he places the meat on the scale. His fingers punch in a code. His dark eyes go to the couple and return again to the scale. I smiled extra big to him and said a little prayer for him that his day goes much smoother and he doesn’t have to deal with people like that woman.

The first thing my family taught me was not to yell out that something was expensive. Many times I’ll show Tony a price tag and raise my eyebrows, but I never insult the clerks that their products are over-priced. Personally, I really don’t think my grocery store is overpriced. The food is good quality. The meats in the other display case are the same price as in the deli case.

I’m frequently surprised over the years at the lack of common sense and grace. Even friends I know I have had to shush when they have unthinkingly blurted out that a product was too expensive. I believe every clerk deserves respect for the product they represent.

It is more polite to simply look and walk away. I left that day grateful for learning that lesson.

Have you ever said really loudly that something was too expensive?

Touring Arizona Coffee Houses: Wild Iris Cafe

hands were a little shaky here...

The owner has graciously declined an interview for this segment of Touring Arizona Coffee Houses: Havens for Writers. Her friendly attitude earn this place as a great place to write, drink coffee, and enjoy homemade treats.

Someone asked me, “Where is Wild Iris Cafe?”

It’s a small cafe hidden away on Granite Street near Prescott Unified School District. Granite Street runs behind Whiskey Row. Wild Iris sits on the banks of Granite Creek. Their windows overlook the shaded walking path along the creek. The shop sits in a beautiful adobe-like plaza with a shaded patio and rustic shop.

There are numerous tables, traditional living room chairs and couches, a coffee table, and plenty of outlets. The Wi-Fi is password protected and there are free refills of regular coffee. Wild Iris also has a coffee card, pies and baked goods that you can specially order, and light lunch items. You can also buy their specially roasted coffee or loose leaf tea and a vareity of unique items from their shelves.

One day I ordered a “Special Caramel Machiatto,” and what I got was art.

On New Years Eve, my husband and I each ordered a different cheesecake. I ordered the chocolate cheesecake and he ordered the pumpkin cheesecake; all made from scratch. The chocolate cheesecake was good, but not as good as the pumpkin cheesecake. The chocolate wasn’t chocolaty enough, but the pumpkin was creamy and tangy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

chocolate cheesecake

Oftentimes, I come here to write or read. The other day I ordered a Cherry Muffin. The hasty decision came in my indecision. I was next in line under a time constraint, but every bite was worth it. My mouth relished the sweet, large cherries baked into the coffee cake-like treat.

iced cherry muffin

I’d rate this place five-stars. The clerks are friendly and seem to love their job. There are plenty of places to sit and lots of outlets. No one bothers you as you work, and the conversations around are quite stimulating.

Is There An Egg Roll Conspiracy?

The first grocery store didn’t have egg roll wrappers. That was Thursday. On Friday, after a brisk walk and an errand I drove all the way across town to an identical store for the egg roll wrappers.

I had a $10 coupon which is the only reason I didn’t go to the other store on the way home. Our small store is the only grocery store in our town. About 30-minutes away is an identical grocery store. Frys is a shorter distance and was much more convenient than the one I went to on that day.

The produce clerk at this other store was spending a lot of time with someone. I checked all the shelves and saw the empty space above the tag “egg rolls.” I approached the produce clerk and stood near him to allow him to finish his conversation with the other person.

Suddenly, he spun around and said, “Yes?”

“Do you have egg roll wrappers? The shelf is empty.”

“It’s because we’re out.” He replies without a smile.

Did I hear sarcasm? Tired and feeling annoyed, I assumed I heard wrong. I stared at him.

He continued, “The supplier hasn’t stocked it. This is not one of our suppliers.”

“Great. This is the second store of yours I’ve been to.”

“If one is out, then none of them have it.” He said.

“Thanks.” I sighed.

He turned back to the woman and they continued their conversation. The man didn’t sound too helpful. I was hoping he had some in the back as sometimes happens in a store. Maybe the woman and him had a thing going over waxed fruit?

I drove across town needlessly for toilet paper and paper towels it seemed, and so I chose to use the remaining of my coupon to get a six-pack of micro-brewed beer as a treat for my husband. I stood in line and as I handed the clerk the coupon and the cash, she looked puzzled at the screen.

“You can’t use the coupon on beer.”

The fragile reins I held on my temper began to fray. “Then, return it.” I waved my hand toward the beer. “I don’t want it.”

She ran the coupon again. “Oh, the .93 cents is tax. The total is $10.93. You can’t use the coupon on tax. Maybe you could get a candy bar or something?”

“Fine.” I snatched a kitkat from the shelf. It’s not her fault. It’s not her fault. It’s not her fault. This mantra paraded through my head. I implored God to help me hold it together. I gratefully left the store and drove home.

I still do not have my egg rolls for Mondays dinner. My favorite place to grocery shop left me frustrated. Our small store in town is often running out of things because it’s always so busy. It would have been nice if the clerk there had told me the lack of egg rolls impacted all the stores. Even so, the produce clerk at the other store had more interest in the woman than in a customer that needed one more item to complete her recipe.

Sometimes, being a Christian requires restraint. An opposite reaction to the status quo (which is to fling the kitkat bar at the clerk, call a manger, and scream) is to be patient and friendly. I might have misunderstood the produce clerk’s actions. In any case, I know now if one store doesn’t have a product, I will go to another brand-name store to get it and not waste the gas on the identical store. Of course, that day there may have been an egg roll conspiracy. Maybe it was an occupy movement?

What are your horror stories of customer service? And how did you allow God to work thorugh your frustrations?

Touring Arizona Coffee Houses: Cuppers Coffee House (Prescott, AZ REPOST)

photo by Cuppers

Snuggled between Prescott’s “haunted” hotel and a local shop, sits a quaint Victorian house turned café. It’s located down the street from the courthouse plaza on Cortez Street. It’s cheerful red canopy and open front porch make it unique among coffee shops. Cuppers has been open for six years, but Andrea and Jamey Mauk are the new owners.

“Our original vision was to embrace the ongoing success of being the Best Coffeehouse and Cafe in Prescott and continue on in that tradition by providing the best atmosphere, best staff, best food and best drinks available. Our plan was to keep what our customers liked and improve by adding to what was already successful.” Cupper’s has received numerous awards since 2007 from Best Coffeehouse to Best Sandwiches in 2009, and this year Best Coffeehouse and Cafe. But what makes it a haven for writers?

There are many tables and outlets. Recovery groups meet there as well as other groups. They have a green room in the back for people to reserve. There is no cost for that. There are couches and tables. I have found it most relaxing to bring my book or laptop to Cuppers and catch up on blogging or book reading. The room that has windows facing the open porch is the most quiet. The coffee is strong. They have varied brews of coffee, and the staff is knowledgeable. For instance, when I needed a very strong cup of coffee, the staff directed me to a lighter brew. Apparently, the lighter brews have the most caffeine and the stronger brews have less caffeine. It’s all in the bean roasting process.

“We expanded our coffee selections by creating our own proprietary coffee blend that combines the best of three countries into one great cup of coffee—either at the shop or in a bag of beans to brew at home! We have added our own Cuppers cold tumblers and Cuppers thermal mugs, and we have more improvements in mind for the near future.” Andrea and Jamey Mauk tell me. I have always loved the food. From their thick-cut toast to their Quiche, nothing quite satisfies me on a busy work day than to walk down to one of my favorite haunts and treat myself to their food and drink. Since taking over the shop, Andrea and Jamey Mauk have added extra-thick cut waffles with fresh fruit, signature soups and specialized drinks. They have a wide variety of espresso drinks listed on a dry-erase board. As my friend, Sandi, told us this past weekend; the most important thing to a writer is lots of coffee.

Jamey and Andrea Mauk have graciously answered a few questions:

If you are a Christian, how did you become saved? Will you give me a brief testimony?

Both Andrea and I grew up in homes where Christ was a part our family life. To us, it isn’t about religion, but about making a decision to have personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Do you contribute to any charities and what are they?

We have so many needs that come into our lives through our coffee-house. I remember being almost overwhelmed at first by all the requests for help or donations. It was difficult to create a budget and start saying no. We do our best to give what we can when we can and keep it even. We also have charities like World Vision, Compassion International, and the local church, that we give to regularly.

Will you share a recipe of one of the things you sell there?

My goodness, there are so many recipes out there floating around. I wouldn’t know where to start. How about our world-famous Skinny Pancakes? Not!

What is your most popular food item?

That’s a tough one too. How about we put them into categories by time of day… for breakfast it would be Skinny Pancakes, lunch would be Asian Chicken Salad or Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda Tomato soup and brunch would be our Quiché.

In your opinion, why do you sell homemade items verses pre-packaged items?

That is a very good question. There are many food providers out there with some pretty awesome foods, but they just don’t “fit” at Grandma’s House, which is what Cuppers is known for. Plus, we come from the Mid-West where families make what they eat, and it is usually from scratch. Where is the fun from food in a bucket? Where is the creativity? To taste like homemade, it has to be made at home. We like to roll up our sleeves, dive in and have fun.

What is your most popular drink sold?

Coffee. Just kidding, well, no it actually is coffee. But what coffee?! We are Baristas after all – connoisseurs of coffee. We have regular customers that come in every day for our coffee, and we have people who come in every day for our specialty coffee drinks or teas. Our most popular creations would be our Monkey Mocha, The Bullet and our Tibetan Chai.

And what Chai it is! We have always said that Chai would become as popular as espresso or cappuccino, and it has. You can check out our website for more details on our proprietary coffee blend, our signature coffees from around the world and all about Chai here.

Is there anything that I and my readers might pray about for your business or you personally?

You could certainly pray for our country concerning this challenging economy as this affects our business as well as any other. We have been very blessed with loyal customers that return day after day. Not many coffee houses have been so lucky.

For us personally, we just ask for God’s continuing insight and wisdom into making the right decisions in every aspect.

For hours and more information about this great place, click here. I also encourage you to ‘like’ their Facebook page here for all the latest Cuppers news. My rating of this coffeehouse is five-stars. There’s more than enough outlets, quiet places to think, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and what earned it the fifth star was the homemade food and front porch. In this area, a front porch at a coffee shop is uncommon. Because Cuppers looks like a home and is in the historic area of Prescott, it’s a wonderful place where writing ideas come easy.

Touring Arizona Coffee Houses: Cuppers Coffee House (Prescott, AZ)

photo by Cuppers

Snuggled between Prescott’s “haunted” hotel and a local shop, sits a quaint Victorian house turned café. It’s located down the street from the courthouse plaza on Cortez Street. It’s cheerful red canopy and open front porch make it unique among coffee shops. Cuppers has been open for six years, but Andrea and Jamey Mauk are the new owners.

“Our original vision was to embrace the ongoing success of being the Best Coffeehouse and Cafe in Prescott and continue on in that tradition by providing the best atmosphere, best staff, best food and best drinks available. Our plan was to keep what our customers liked and improve by adding to what was already successful.” Cupper’s has received numerous awards since 2007 from Best Coffeehouse to Best Sandwiches in 2009, and this year Best Coffeehouse and Cafe. But what makes it a haven for writers?

There are many tables and outlets. Recovery groups meet there as well as other groups. They have a green room in the back for people to reserve. There is no cost for that. There are couches and tables. I have found it most relaxing to bring my book or laptop to Cuppers and catch up on blogging or book reading. The room that has windows facing the open porch is the most quiet. The coffee is strong. They have varied brews of coffee, and the staff is knowledgeable. For instance, when I needed a very strong cup of coffee, the staff directed me to a lighter brew. Apparently, the lighter brews have the most caffeine and the stronger brews have less caffeine. It’s all in the bean roasting process.

“We expanded our coffee selections by creating our own proprietary coffee blend that combines the best of three countries into one great cup of coffee—either at the shop or in a bag of beans to brew at home! We have added our own Cuppers cold tumblers and Cuppers thermal mugs, and we have more improvements in mind for the near future.” Andrea and Jamey Mauk tell me. I have always loved the food. From their thick-cut toast to their Quiche, nothing quite satisfies me on a busy work day than to walk down to one of my favorite haunts and treat myself to their food and drink. Since taking over the shop, Andrea and Jamey Mauk have added extra-thick cut waffles with fresh fruit, signature soups and specialized drinks. They have a wide variety of espresso drinks listed on a dry-erase board. As my friend, Sandi, told us this past weekend; the most important thing to a writer is lots of coffee.

Jamey and Andrea Mauk have graciously answered a few questions:

If you are a Christian, how did you become saved? Will you give me a brief testimony?

Both Andrea and I grew up in homes where Christ was a part our family life. To us, it isn’t about religion, but about making a decision to have personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Do you contribute to any charities and what are they?

We have so many needs that come into our lives through our coffee-house. I remember being almost overwhelmed at first by all the requests for help or donations. It was difficult to create a budget and start saying no. We do our best to give what we can when we can and keep it even. We also have charities like World Vision, Compassion International, and the local church, that we give to regularly.

Will you share a recipe of one of the things you sell there?

My goodness, there are so many recipes out there floating around. I wouldn’t know where to start. How about our world-famous Skinny Pancakes? Not!

What is your most popular food item?

That’s a tough one too. How about we put them into categories by time of day… for breakfast it would be Skinny Pancakes, lunch would be Asian Chicken Salad or Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda Tomato soup and brunch would be our Quiché.

In your opinion, why do you sell homemade items verses pre-packaged items?

That is a very good question. There are many food providers out there with some pretty awesome foods, but they just don’t “fit” at Grandma’s House, which is what Cuppers is known for. Plus, we come from the Mid-West where families make what they eat, and it is usually from scratch. Where is the fun from food in a bucket? Where is the creativity? To taste like homemade, it has to be made at home. We like to roll up our sleeves, dive in and have fun.

What is your most popular drink sold?

Coffee. Just kidding, well, no it actually is coffee. But what coffee?! We are Baristas after all – connoisseurs of coffee. We have regular customers that come in every day for our coffee, and we have people who come in every day for our specialty coffee drinks or teas. Our most popular creations would be our Monkey Mocha, The Bullet and our Tibetan Chai.

And what Chai it is! We have always said that Chai would become as popular as espresso or cappuccino, and it has. You can check out our website for more details on our proprietary coffee blend, our signature coffees from around the world and all about Chai here.

Is there anything that I and my readers might pray about for your business or you personally?

You could certainly pray for our country concerning this challenging economy as this affects our business as well as any other. We have been very blessed with loyal customers that return day after day. Not many coffee houses have been so lucky.

For us personally, we just ask for God’s continuing insight and wisdom into making the right decisions in every aspect.

For hours and more information about this great place, click here. I also encourage you to ‘like’ their Facebook page here for all the latest Cuppers news. My rating of this coffeehouse is five-stars. There’s more than enough outlets, quiet places to think, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and what earned it the fifth star was the homemade food and front porch. In this area, a front porch at a coffee shop is uncommon. Because Cuppers looks like a home and is in the historic area of Prescott, it’s a wonderful place where writing ideas come easy.

The Gift of An Isolated Moment

“Why didn’t you text them?” Tony kept asking me after he arrived home from work.

Friends forgot a pre-planned lunch date on Saturday at Wildflower Bread Company. I could have called them. Maybe most people would have called immediatley, or sulked about it over a cup of coffee.

Not me.

“I had to go into town anyway.” I bought a cup of coffee and a morning glory muffin. I enjoyed sitting quietly in a booth, bathed in sunshine. No computer or pressing need distracted me. I took out a book and read, grateful not to be in a hurry.

I’ll probably call them this week and reschedule, but I relished that unexpected quiet moment on Saturday. My friends are usually very reliable and I know something probably came up. Plus, you can’t get mad at someone when their mistake gave you an isolated moment away from the everyday. A gift of rest from God.

What happened when your plans went awry? How did you react?